U.S.S. Florida
BB-30
1930
(Spider Navy SN-1-03)
- Class: Florida - 2 battleships of 1908
- Displacement: 21,986 tons standard, 27,726 tons full load
- Dimensions: 510'(wl) 521'6"(oa) x 106' x 31'8"
- Machinery: 4-shaft turbines, SHP 47,000 = 22 knots
- Armor: belt 11in, turrets 12in, decks 3in, CT 11.5in
- Armament: 10-12"/45 (5x2), 12-5"/51 (12x1), 8-3"/50 (8x1) AA, 4-3pdr saluting guns
- Complement: 1,171
- Builder: New York Naval Shipyard, Brooklyn NY
- Keel Laid: 9 Mar 1909
- Launched: 12 May 1910
- Commissioned: 15 Sep 1911
- Decommissioned: 16 Feb 1931
- Notes: Built as an improved version of the Delaware class, Florida and sister Utah were the first battleships off Vera Cruz in the 1914 crisis, both landing marines and soldiers for three days fighting from 21 Apr that cost 94 US casualties and hundreds of Mexican lives. Florida served with the 6th Battle Squadron in the Grand Fleet 1917-18. The two sisters were the oldest US battleships retained under the Washington Naval Treaty, and were both extensively rebuilt during the 1920s, with conversion to oil fuel, which greatly increased endurance, added armor protection, and blisters, significantly increasing beam, as shown here. However, both had to be discarded under terms of the London Treaty of 1930, with Utah being retained as a target ship from 1931.
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